She persisted: the pursuit,persistence, & power of African American women in social work graduate programs at Historically Black Institutions (HBI)

Social work graduate programs have long grappled with ways to attract and retain students at the intersection of race and gender. The central structure of this analysis is a hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study on the pursuit and persistence of African-American women in graduate Social Work programs at a Historically Black Institution (HBI). The data in this article were derived from the responses of 13 participants written in their own words. The themes that emerged around the pursuit of a social work degree were (a) service to Black communities, (b) resistance to misrecognition, and (c) a seat at the table. After sharing the salient characteristics of the findings, the article opens a discussion around the significance of HBIs in educating social workers to work in urban communities and the implications for policy and practice.     

Covariate Adjusted Correlation Analysis via Varying Coefficient Models

Abstract.  We propose covariate adjusted correlation (Cadcor) analysis to target the correlation between two hidden variables that are observed after being multiplied by an unknown function of a common observable confounding variable. The distorting effects of this confounding may alter the correlation relation between the hidden variables. Covariate adjusted correlation analysis enables consistent estimation of this correlation, by targeting the definition of correlation through the slopes of the regressions of the hidden variables on each other and by establishing a connection to varying-coefficient regression. The asymptotic distribution of the resulting adjusted correlation estimate is established. These distribution results, when combined with proposed consistent estimates of the asymptotic variance, lead to the construction of approximate confidence intervals and inference for adjusted correlations. We illustrate our approach through an application to the Boston house price data. Finite sample properties of the proposed procedures are investigated through a simulation study.     

Computer integrated manufacturing applications in an automotive factory

Abstract

System integration is critical to development and implementation of CIM (computer integrated manufacture). This paper outlines the elements of the CIM system implementation strategy and deals with the representation of CIM implementation stages in TO FAS; which is a car manufacturing factory. In TOFA?, a pilot CIM project has been completed with success and other projects are in the development phase.     

Determinants of residential Firewise behaviors in Central Oregon

As a result of climate change and past management practices, wildfires are becoming larger and occurring more frequently than ever before in the Western U.S. In order to mitigate the effects of this growing threat, fire management agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service have encouraged residents in at-risk communities to protect their homes, property and communities by adopting Firewise recommendations. Using annual random sample household surveys conducted in fire-prone central Oregon from 2011 to 2013, this study examines the impact of wildfire events (i.e., wildfire exposure and evacuation), risk perception, wildfire plan informedness, proximity to wildlands, and various demographic factors on resident Firewise behavior participation. Findings indicate that residents who have experienced a wildfire event, who are familiar with their county’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan, who perceive wildfire risk to their community, and who live in proximity or within a wildland area, were significantly more likely to engage in Firewise behaviors than those residents without these experiences, orientations or household locations.     

Cost-benefit analysis—a critique

This paper surveys some of the main criticisms of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) that have emerged over the years. It is noted in passing that views on what type of technique CBA really is, or should be, have differed and continue to differ depending on the set of value judgements used. We emphasise that the more recent suggested extensions to or modifications of CBA have sought to make the technique more comprehensive (i.e. to include distributional, environmental quality and other objectives as well as economic efficiency) at the inevitable cost of a loss of precision. The underlying principles of CBA are examined and the problems of multiple objective planning highlighted. Valuation problems are analysed, in particular with regard to amenity and environmental effects. Finally, the issues of uncertainty, irreversibility and intergenerational equity are raised briefly to indicate the complexity of the decision-making task when large-scale technologically advanced projects have to be appraised. In conclusion it is argued that CBA presented in a disaggregated format, as a comprehensive method for the ordering of information and a testing procedure for a range of valuations can perform a useful role in the decision-making process. The term ‘policy analysis’ is probably a better one for this broader view of the use of CBA. Ultimately we seem to be searching for a synthesis of the participatory and the traditional (technocratic) style of decision-making though we have a long and difficult course to chart before we even approach such a goal.     

STRATEGIC RESPONSES TO THE POLICE AMONG INNER-CITY YOUTH

Research on police–citizen relations is largely focused on how police officers treat citizens, with much less attention given to how citizens behave toward officers. Several studies report that citizens' demeanor affects the way they are treated by police, but researchers have neglected the larger question of how citizens manage their contacts with officers more generally, outside the parameters of face-to-face encounters. The question is particularly salient for young males living in high-crime, inner-city neighborhoods—many of whom have frequent, negative contacts with or observations of the police. This article examines the contours of the youths' strategic responses to the police, drawing on in-depth interviews conducted in disadvantaged neighborhoods in St. Louis. Our analysis draws on Hirschman's framework of exit, voice, and loyalty as options available to individuals when dealing with problematic organizations.